Microneedle-containing drug delivery device to be attached to exterior wall of vascular vessel and method for drug delivery therewith

Abstract

A drug delivery device, which is to be attached to the exterior wall of a vascular vessel, includes: a) a biocompatible device body for surrounding a vascular vessel; b) one or plurality of biocompatible microneedle, which are connected to the interior of the biocompatible device body and capable of penetrating up to the tunica media so as to deliver drug to the vascular smooth muscle cells. The drug delivery device and method enable spatial and temporal control of the drug ejected onto the blood cells and enable insertions of two or more different drugs at different delivery speeds and durations, thereby significantly improving the treatment success rate.

1 . A drug delivery device for attachment to the outer wall of a blood vessel, the blood delivery device comprising: a) a body made of a biocompatible material and formed so as to cover the blood vessel; b) one or more needles made of a biocompatible material, which are connected to the inside of the body and inserted into the tunica media of the blood vessel so as to deliver a drug to vascular smooth muscle cells; c) one or more drug reservoirs formed in the body; and d) microchannels formed in the needles and serving to deliver the drug from the drug reservoirs to the tunica media of the blood vessel. 
     
     
         2 . The drug delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the rate and period of drug delivery by diffusion, osmotic pressure, and partitioning are controlled by controlling the structure of the microchannels. 
     
     
         3 . The drug delivery device of  claim 2 , wherein the control of the drug delivery rate and period are achieved by controlling the length, cross-sectional area or shape of the channels. 
     
     
         4 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the drug delivery device is configured to deliver two or more different drugs at the same delivery rate or different delivery rates during different periods. 
     
     
         5 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the biocompatible material is a biodegradable material. 
     
     
         6 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the body formed so as to cover the blood vessel has a conical shape, a cylindrical shape, a pyramidal shape or polyprismal shape according to the size of an affected part or the position or kind of blood vessel. 
     
     
         7 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the aspect ratio (the ratio of the height to the length of the bottom) of the needle is 1 or greater. 
     
     
         8 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the drug stored in the drug reservoirs includes a low-molecular-weight/high-molecular-weight drug, a peptide, a protein, RNA, sRNAi, DNA or a cell. 
     
     
         9 . A drug delivery device for attachment to the outer wall of a blood vessel, the blood delivery device comprising: a) a body made of a biocompatible material and formed so as to cover the blood vessel; b) one or more needles made of a biocompatible material, which are connected to the inside of the body and inserted into the tunica media of the blood vessel; and c) a mixture of a biocompatible material and a drug, which is delivered to vascular smooth muscle cells through the needles. 
     
     
         10 . The drug delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the mixture of the biocompatible material and the drug is attached to the end of the needles by spray or coating. 
     
     
         11 . The drug delivery device of  claim 9  or  10 , wherein the drug delivery rate and period are controlled by controlling the degradation rate or mixing ratio of the biocompatible material that is mixed with the drug. 
     
     
         12 . The drug delivery device of  claim 9  or  10 , wherein the drug delivery device is configured to deliver two or more different drugs at the same delivery rate or different delivery rates during different periods. 
     
     
         13 . The drug delivery device of  claim 9  or  10 , wherein the biocompatible material is a biodegradable material. 
     
     
         14 . The drug delivery device of  claim 9  or  10 , wherein the body formed so as to cover the blood vessel has a conical shape, a cylindrical shape, a pyramidal shape or polyprismal shape according to the size of an affected part or the position or kind of blood vessel. 
     
     
         15 . The drug delivery device of  claim 9  or  10 , wherein the aspect ratio (the ratio of the height to the length of the bottom) of the needle is 1 or greater. 
     
     
         16 . The drug delivery device of  claim 9  or  10 , wherein the drug stored in the drug reservoirs includes a low-molecular-weight/high-molecular-weight drug, a peptide, a protein, RNA, sRNAi, DNA or a cell. 
     
     
         17 . A drug delivery device for attachment to the outer wall of a blood vessel, the blood delivery device comprising: a) a body made of a biocompatible material and formed so as to cover the blood vessel; and b) one or more needles made of a biocompatible material, which are connected to the inside of the body and inserted into the tunica media of the blood vessel so as to deliver a drug to vascular smooth muscle cells. 
     
     
         18 . The drug delivery device of  claim 17 , wherein the shape of the needle is a separate type in which the body of the needle is separable from the end of the needle, or is an integral type in which the body of the needle is integrally connected with the end of the needle. 
     
     
         19 . The drug delivery device of  claim 17 , wherein the drug is included during molding of the end of the separate-type needles or the integral-type needles so that the whole or end of the needle is composed of the mixture of the biocompatible material and the drug. 
     
     
         20 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 17  to  19 , wherein the drug delivery rate and period are controlled by controlling the degradation rate or mixing ratio of the biocompatible material that is mixed with the drug. 
     
     
         21 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 17  to  19 , wherein the drug delivery device is configured to deliver two or more different drugs at the same delivery rate or different delivery rates during different periods. 
     
     
         22 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 17  to  19 , wherein the biocompatible material is a biodegradable material. 
     
     
         23 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 17  to  19 , wherein the body formed so as to cover the blood vessel has a conical shape, a cylindrical shape, a pyramidal shape or polyprismal shape according to the size of an affected part or the position or kind of blood vessel. 
     
     
         24 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 17  to  19 , wherein the aspect ratio (the ratio of the height to the length of the bottom) of the needle is 1 or greater. 
     
     
         25 . The drug delivery device of any one of  claims 17  to  19 , wherein the drug stored in the drug reservoirs includes a low-molecular-weight/high-molecular-weight drug, a peptide, a protein, RNA, sRNAi, DNA or a cell. 
     
     
         26 . A method for preparing a drug delivery device for attachment to the outer wall of a blood vessel, the method comprising the steps of: a) fabricating a body formed so as to cover a blood vessel; and b) fabricating one or more needles that are connected to the inside of the body and inserted into the tunica media of the blood vessel so as to deliver a drug to vascular smooth muscle cells. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein microchannels serving to deliver the drug from the drug reservoirs to the tunica media of the blood vessel are formed during fabrication of the needles. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising a step of coating a mixture of a biocompatible material and the drug onto the end of the molded needles. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the shape of the needle is a separate type in which the body of the needle is separable from the end of the needle, or is an integral type in which the body of the needle is integrally connected with the end of the needle. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the drug is included during fabrication of the end of the separate-type needles or the integral-type needles and then dried so that the whole or end of the needle is composed of a mixture of the biocompatible material and the drug. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the mixing ratio between the drug and the biocompatible is 0.01-90% w/w (drug/biocompatible material). 
     
     
         32 . A method for delivering a drug using a body made of a biocompatible material and formed so as to cover a blood vessel, a plurality of needles connected to the body and inserted into the tunica media of the blood vessel, a plurality of drug reservoirs formed in the body, and microchannels formed in the needles and serving to deliver the drug from the drug reservoirs to the tunica media of the blood vessel, wherein the number of the needles, the size of the drug reservoirs or the structure of the microchannels is controlled to control a region into which the drug is administered, the amount of drug administered and the period of administration of the drug. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein two or more different drugs are stored in the drug reservoirs and delivered at the same delivery rate or different delivery rates during different periods. 
     
     
         34 . A method for delivering a drug using a) a body made of a biocompatible material and formed so as to cover a blood vessel, a plurality of needles connected to the inside of the body and inserted into the tunica media of the blood vessel, and a mixture of a biocompatible material and the drug, which is delivered to vascular smooth muscle cells through the needles, or b) a body made of a biocompatible material and formed so as to cover a blood vessel, and one or more needles connected to the inside of the body and made of a biocompatible material mixed with the drug so as to deliver the drug to vascular smooth muscle cells, wherein the degradation rate of the biocompatible material or the mixing ratio between the biocompatible material and the drug is controlled to control the amount of drug administered and the period of administration of the drug. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein two or more different drugs are attached to the end of the needles and delivered at the same delivery rate or different delivery rates during different periods.